Convertible seat, berth, and table for automobiles and like vehicles



Sept. '14 1926. 1,599,588

.F. A. PUTNAM v CONVERTIBLE SEAT, BERTH, AND TABLE FOR AUTOMOBILES ANDLIKE VEHICLES Filed Oct. 30, 1922 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 lnvenror. Fred A.Puinclm Sept. 14 1926. 1,599,588

F. A. P UTNAM CONVERTIBLE SEAT, BERTH, AND TABLE FOR AUTOMOBILES ANDLIKE VEHICLES Filed Oct. 30, 1922 E5 Sheets-Sheet 2 Sept. 14 1926.

F. A. PUTNAM CONVERTIBLE SEAT, BERTH, AND TABLE FOR AuTdMoialLEs ANDLIKE VEHICLES Filed Oct. 30, 1922 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 Invenior. Fred A.Puinclm by Aflva Patented Sept. 14, 1926.

FREDA; Burner/nor new HAMPSHIRE.

CONVERTIBLE sn nnEaTrr ANnrABLn FOB Anson/tonnes Ann LIKE .vEHIoLns.

Application filed October 30, 1922. Serial No. 597,764.

This invention has for its object toprovide a novel convertibleseat,-table andberth which is specially'adapted for'use in auto: mobilesor like vehicles. The invention is of special value in oonnectioirwithmotor camp ing outfits because with an automobile equipped with myinvention it is possible to convert it into a seat for use when touring,

one positioirforiiis part of the seat and in another position forms withthe fixed sec-'' tion the'complete bed bottom; a removable seat'back andarm, which when-in position serves as theback and arm of'the seat butwhich can be removed when the combined seat, table and berth isconverted into either a table or bertln'and a'table toparranged to beremovably sustained above the fixed frame section whenthe seat backis'removed and by means of 'WhlCh' the device is con-- verted into 'atable.

In 'orderto give an understandingofthe invention 1 have illustrated inthe drawings a selected embodiment thereof which will now bedescribed'after which the novel features will be pointed out in the.appended claims.

Fig. 1 is a sectional plan view through an automobile body havingmyimprovements applied thereto. p i

Fig. 2 is a perspective VlGW' of the convertible seat, berth and tablearranged as a table.

Fig. 8 is a side view of the device arranged as a" seat.

Fig; i is-a section on the line 4- 1, Fig. 3; Fig. 5 is an enlargedsection on the line Fig. 6 is a perspective viewshowing the devicearranged for a berth but cushions removed.

Fig. 7' is a fragmentary detail ofthe seat.

Ihave herein illustrated myinvention as it might be embodled 111 anautomobile but I desire to state that the invention is'not confined inits use to automobiles but 1s capable to the wall.

with the hicles. i

lnFig. 1,1 indicates an automobile body of being used in cars andother've PATENT orsice.

oi' the closed type, the latterhaving a door 2 through which passengersmay enter or leave the automobile. I 3 indicates the steering wheel ofthe automobile and 1 a seat arranged for the operator and which maybe ofany suitable type. In the automobile shown in the drawings myimprovedconvertible seat, berth and tableis situated on the opposite side of theautomobile from the drivers seat but it is thus shown only forillustrative purposes as the invention will not be departed from if thiscombineds'eat, berth and table is placed in any desired position in theautomobile body.

My improvedcombined berth; seatand table comprises a fixed :t'ramesection 5. which issecured at one edge6 to the wall 7 ofthe automobilebody and which is herein shown as. provided with slats 8- adapted tosupporta cushion 9. This fixed fraineflse'ction 5 is supported partiallyat its outer' edge either by the wall 7 or by legs or posts 9 securedThe inner edge of the frame section 5 is supported at one corner by afixed post 10 which extends abovethe frame and functions also as asupport for the table top to be hereinafter referred to, andas a supportfor the arm of the chair or seat. I

have shown a further support 11 for the fixed section 5 and whichis inthe form of a leg permanently secured in place.

Associated withthe fixed section 5 is an extensible section-12 which hasa telescopic relation with the fixed section 5 and can be eithertelescoped into the folded position shown in Fig. 2 or can be extendedinto the position shown indotted lines Fig, 3 and in fulllines Fig. 6.This extensible section 12 is shown as having an end piece 13 from whichextends slats 14 that fit and slide hetw-een the slats 8. Thisextensible section 13 also has a side rail 15 which slides in suitableguides 16 carried by the inner face of the side rails 17 of thefixed-frame section 5. When the extensible section 12 is fully extendedas shown in dotted lines Fi 3and in full lines Fig. 6 it forms with tiefixed section 5a bed'bottom of full length. When it is partiallyextended as shown in full lines Fig; 3 it forms the bottom of assetaswill V be presently described.

For supporting the extensible section 13 wh'en it is fully extended Ihave shown a fixed post or support 18- secured to the wall stitutes aleg or support for the extensible section. When the extensible sectionis folded as shown in Fig. 2 this leg 19 may be swung out of the wayinto parallelism with the end piece 13.

The combined scat, H

comprises a seat back 21 and an arm 22 for the seat. The seat back 21may be constructed ,in any suitable way without departing from theinvention and it is adaptcd to be removably secured to the fixed framesection: 5 near the end thereof which is supported by the post 10 asshown in Fig. 3. The arm 22 is removably secured at its rear end totheback 21 and rests on thetop of the post 10 to which it is detachablysecured. hen the device is converted into asset, the seat back21 and thearm 22 are placed in position and, if desired, the extensible section 12may be extended sufi ciently to form a seat of the desired width.

Cushions 23 and 24 for the seat may beemployed, the cushion 23 restingon the frame sections and the cushion 24 serving as the back cushion.When the device is thus adjusted it provides one seat with a back andarm facing forwardly and a long seat like a bench orside seat in therear of the back 21 and which is covered by the cushion 9. This is theway the device may be arranged while driving or touring the coun try. i

The cushions 23 and 24 are of such relative sizes that when theextensible section 12 is pulled outwardly into the full line positionFig. 6 to form a bed bottom, said cushions 23 and 24together with thecushion 9 will cover the extended frame andthus provide a mattressforthe berth suitable for sleeping purposes. V V a i I The seat back 21may have any desirable construction and for the sakeojf illustration itis herein shown as comprising an upright member 25 to which the rear endof the arm 22 is secured, a cross piece 26 secured to the upright at oneend and adapted to be detachably secured to the wall '7 at the other endand vertically-extending slats 2'? which support the back cushion 24.Theupright 25 is shown as having a bolt 28 extending from its lower endwhich extendsthrough the side rail 17 of thefixed frame section 5 andwhich has a wing nut 29 screw-threaded to its lower end therebyremovably se curing said vertical upright member 25 in place. The end ofthe cross member 26 is shown as supported in a socket 30 secured berthand table also "the post 10 and for this purpose it is shown as havingan angle-iron bracket 34 secured thereto which in turn is detachablysecured to said post. The latter is provided with an extension 35v togive greater width at the upper end tosupport the arm 22 and thisextension is shown as having a positioning pin 36 rising therefrom whichenters a re cess in the arm 22. v z

The slats 27 are shown. as retained in' place at their upper ends bymeans of guiding loops 37 secured to the cross piece 26 and at theirlower endsthey are shown as set into sockets 38 carried by a cross piece58 which is removably retained in place.

For converting the device into a table the seat back 21 and arm 22 areremoved and a table top 39 is supportedabove the frame section 5 asseenin Fig. 2. This tabletop is shown as ofa size to extend from thepostlOto the rear of the frame section 5and. one corner of the table top issupported on the post 10 while the edge of the table top adjacent thewall 7 rests on wall brackets 40 secured to the wall 7. These wallbrackets are shown as having positioning pins 41 rising therefrom whichenter sockets or recesses formedin the under side of the table top andthus. hold the table top from horizontal movement. The table top isalsoprovided with a recess to receive the positioning pin 36 on the post 10.V

The table top is further supported by one or more folding struts 42which are herein shown as pivoted to the fixed frame section 5 at 43 andwhich may be swung into thevertical position shown in Fig.2 to support 7i this convertible seat, table and berth issituated on one side of theautomobile and on the opposite side back of the drivers seat 4 is abench or seat 44, while extending across the rear of the automobile bodyis a rear seat 45. Vhen, therefore, the combined seat, berth and'tableis madeup as a table-as shown in Fig. 2 the persons using the table maysit on theirear seat 45, on thebench' 44 and on the drivers seat 4. p VMy invention has special advantages when usedin an automobile designedfor camping purposes because while it provides desirable seatingcapacity whiletouring'the country, it provides the necessary table forserving meals, and also the necessary sleeping quarters at night.

I claim:

1. A convertible seat and bed comprising a fixed frame section, alongitudinally extensible frame section having a telescopic relationwith the fixed section, said sections when extended forming a bed bottomhaving the Width of said sections and the length of the extendedsections, a post forming a support for the fixed frame section, a backdetachably secured to the fixed frame section transversely of the bedand intermediate the ends of the fixed section and a seat arm secured tothe back and detachably secured to the post.

2. A convertible seat and bed comprising a fixed frame section, a postforming a support therefor, an extensible frame section havingtelescopic relation with the fixed section and extensible in front ofsaid post, said sections when extended forming a bed bottom, a backextending transversely of the bed in the rear of the post andintermediate the ends of said fixed section, said back being detachablysecured to the fixed section to permit removal. when the device is to beused as a bed, and a seat arm secured to the back and detachably securedto said post to permit its removal with said back.

3. A convertible seat and bed comprising a fixed frame section, anextensible frame section having telescopic relation with the fixed framesection longitudinally of the bed, said sections when extended forming abed bottom, a post forming a support for the fixed frame section, a backextending transversely of the bed and detachably secured to the fixedframe section thereof intermediate the ends of said section and a seatarm secured to the back and detach ably secured to the post whereby aportion of the fixed frame section and the back and arm may be used as aseat or the back and arm may be removed and said sections used as a bed.

In testimony whereof, I have signed my name to this specification.

FRED A. PUTNAM.

